Printing machine with movable paperpositioning scale



Nov. 29, 1966 s, GABRIELSON, sR., ETAL 3,288,264

PRINTING MACHINE WITH MOVABLE PAPER-POSITIONING SCALE 'Filed March 51, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG..|

FIG. 2

INVENTORS SAMUEL GABRIELSON JOSEPH I KONKEL BY, 76 & M

ATTORN EYS Nov. 29, 1966 I GABRIEITSON, SR, ETAL 3,288,264

PRINTING MACHINE WITH MOVABLE PAPER-POSITIONING SCALE 'Filed March 51, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iflllllll IIIIIIII'IIH lilllll 1 l I I0 I K r IAIII 1|1/\|| I II I] I] l9 INVENTORS AMUEL GABRIELSORLSR QSEPH KONKEL ATTORN EYS LCD United States Patent 3,288,264 PRINTING MACHINE WITH MOVABLE PAPER- PGSITIONING CALE Samuel Gabrielson, Sr., and Joseph Konlrel, Lynnfield, Mass, assignors to ANeiex Corporation, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 444,200 13 Claims. (Cl. 197-133) The present invention relates to an improved printing machine having a movable scale mechanism to assist in positioning paper therein, for printing columns and lines in correct registration, and for positioning the paper feed tractors to correspond with a particular paper form. Machines of the type to which the invention relates have a printing element bearing a type font, supported adjacent to a printing station at which hammers are arranged for imprinting one line at a time on a strip of printing paper. The paper is advanced in discrete indexing steps through the printing station for the printing of successive lines. The paper is positioned by paper feed tractors which are adjustable to align the paper with a printing station, both as to line and column. Whether the printing element comprises a print roll or rolls bearing peripheral type fonts, or a series of print bars, it is necessary to move the printing element away from the printing station when loading a strip of paper, in order to align the paper properly. It is conventional to mount the printing element on movable yokes, which may be pivotally supported in the machine frame, so that it may be retracted out and away from the printing station, to facilitate the alignment of paper.

It is the primary object of this invention to facilitate the positioning of paper in correct registration with the elements of a printing machine. It is a more specific object to provide an improved printing machine having a movable scale and yoke mechanism, for alternative positioning of a printing element or a scale in operative relation to a printing station. It is a further object to provide an improved yoke and scale arrangement, such that movement of the yoke and the printing element which it supports, from a retracted position toward a printing station, automatically withdraws the scale from that station so that it cannot interfere with the printing element and cause damage. It is still a further object to provide an improved scale mechanism cooperating with adjustable paper feed tractors to align the forms lengthwise and laterally with a printing station. Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

Briefly stated, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, we may carry out our invention by mounting a printing element upon a yoke which is pivotally mounted in the frame of a printing machine for movement to and from a printing position; and by mounting a scale upon arms which are pivotally supported on the yoke on an axis parallel to, but spaced from, the pivotal axis of the yoke in the frame. The relative dimensions of the parts are such that upon Withdrawal of the yoke and printing member to a retracted position, the scale may be swung on its arms to overlie the printing station, in alignment with a set of print hammers. The scale is preferably provided with both columnar and linear scale indicia, for registration of paper forms in the printing station both horizontally and vertically.

In a preferred form, a tension spring connects the scalesupporting arms with the yoke; and is arranged to pass over the center of the pivotal connection between the arm and the yoke upon movement of the scale between its positions operatively aligned with the printing station and withdrawn therefrom, so as to bias the arm toward either position to which it is then being passed over center.

Upon retraction of the yoke and printing member from 3,288,264 Patented Nov. 29, 1966 the printing station, the scale may be shifted manually to that station. But accidental closure of the yoke and printing element against the scale, when the latter is at the printing station, might damage the mechanism, especially since the yoke is generally shifted by power-operated means. Therefore, we cause the scale to shift away from the printing station automatically upon closure of the yoke, by arranging the scale to rest upon the paper and against a guide plate which also serves to guide the paper through the printing station. As the yoke commences to close, the resulting movement of the pivotal connection between the scale arms and the yoke causes the scale to slide upon the guide plate away from the printing station. And as the aforementioned tension spring passes over center, the arms and scale are snapped further from the path of the oncoming printing element. Thus damage to the mechanism cannot arise from failure to withdraw the scale from the printing station prior to closing the yoke.

The preferred embodiment utilizes paper feed tractors which are adjustable lengthwise of the paper forms for aligning pro-printed form lines with the printing hammers, with the aid of corresponding lines scribed on the scale. A columnar index on the scale overlies the printing hammers when the scale is positioned at the printing station, for precise alignment of pre-printed material on the forms. For lateral positioning, the tractors are adjustable transversely. The scale has a further columnar index which, in the withdrawn position of the scale, cooperates with indicators on the tractors for rapid lateral positioning.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out the subject matter which we regard as our invention, it is believed that a clearer understanding may be gained fro-m the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary end view in section of a preferred embodiment of the improved printing machine, showing the parts in position for printing operation;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the printing element withdrawn, and scale elements placed for the alignment of paper; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the apparatus.

In the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in a printing machine of the type having a cylindrical print roll 10, bearing a peripheral font of characters. The print roll is rotatably mounted in a pair of parallel yoke members 16, which support the print roll at either end. A housing 12 partially encloses the print roll, being cut on a ohordal plane to form an opening 13. The housing is secured to the yokes by means of arcuate brackets 14. This assembly is pivotally mounted at 18 in the frame 19 of the printing machine, for movement of the print roll between a printing position shown in FIG. 1, in which it is aligned with a cooperating series of hammers 20 defining a printing station; and a retracted position shown in FIG. 2, which allows access to the printing station for aligning paper with respect to the hammers 20.

A guide plate 22 extends adjacent to the printing station for guiding paper as indicated generally at 23, between the hammers and the periphery of the printing roll. An opening 24 is formed in the guide plate to permit the hammers to impact the paper against the type font. According to conventional practice, the precise position of the print roll is adjustable by means of a screw element 28, threaded in a lug 26 extending from one of the yoke members 16, to engage the frame so that the degree of penetration of the type fonts into the paper can be controlled.

Movement of the yoke and print roll between their alternative positions is secured in a preferred form by poweroperated means (not shown), rotationally driving a crank 34 through a shaft 38, to drive a link 30 which is pivotally Q. connected to the yoke 16 at 32, and to the crank 34 at 36.

A scale 40 is mounted at either end on extensions 44A of a pair of arms 44, by means of screws 45. Each of the scale-supporting arms is pivotally supported on one of the yoke members 16 by a shoulder screw 46, a shoulder bushing 47, and a collar 48, which restricts play of the arms on the bushing.

The scale 40 is of transparent plastic material, and is engraved on the under side with columnar indices 41, 4-2 for aligning the paper with the print hammers horizontally, and scribed lines 43 for vertical alignment, which is a particular requirement in connection with pre-printed forms. The indicia on the index 41 mark the centers of columnar spaces, while those on the index 42 outline hammer positions, and consequently the margins of the columnar spaces.

In the position of the parts shown in FIG. 1, the yoke is closed and the print roll is in printing position with the hammers radially aligned, prepared for actuation to impress paper and inked ribbon against the rotating print roll as selected characters pass through the printing station. The scale is withdrawn and held in that position by the tension of the spring 50, acting with a clockwise moment about the pivot 46. The spring 50 is secured at one end on a pin 52 extending from one of the yoke members 16, and at the other end on a pin 54 extending from one of the arms 44, as illustrated.

Tractor units 62 grip the pre-punched margins of a strip of paper forms 23 for advancing it one line at a time to the printing station. A chain 64 bears a series of pins 65 for gripping the paper, which is guided over a plate 63 thereby. A drive sprocket '66 and an idler roll 67 are driven intermittently by a spline shaft 68 to advance the paper. Each of the tractor units is slidable laterally of the paper by means of a cable 76 attached to a lug 74, sliding on the spline shaft, and having an ear 70 sliding on a locating bar '72.

A hold-down plate 80 is hingedly mounted on each tractor unit for retaining the paper on the pins 65. At the lower edge of this plate, an indicator 82 is formed for cooperation with the columnar index 4-1, which is adjacent when the scale 40 is in the withdrawn position of FIG. 1. With the parts in this position, the tractors may be set for printing a given form, by movement of the cables 76 to align the pins 65 wth selected columnar indicia on the index 41, corresponding to the appropriate marginal locations of that form.

The yoke and print roll may be withdrawn from the printing station by rotating the shaft 38 to shift the links 3t), cranks 34 and the yoke to the positions shown in FIG. 2. The pivot 46 is carried clockwise with the yoke, but the tension spring raises the scale 40 and its supporting arms 44 from the guide plate 22. To use the index 42 and lines 43, the scale is manually depressed to the position shown in FIG. 2, in which these indicia overlie the printing hammers 20. Initially, the spring 50 resists this movement, but as it is passed over the center of the pivot 46, draws the scale into its position as shown in FIG. 2. The scale 40 rests upon the guide plate, or on paper inserted over this plate.

Alignment of pre-printed lines on the paper forms with the printing hammers may then be carried out, by an adjusting rotation of the spline shaft 68 and the chains 64, to bring these lines into appropriate relation to the scribed lines 43. And fine lateral alignment of pre-printed characters or the like with desired columnar spaces may be carried out, through further adjustment of the tractors by the cables 76, to align these characters in desired relation to the index 42.

After the paper has been aligned with the assistance of the scale, the yoke and print roll are returned to the printing position by a 180 rotation of the shaft 38. As the yoke begins its counter-clockwise movement, the spring 50 continues to bias the scale against the guide plate 22,

and the latter guides the scale upwardly away from the printing station As the spring 50 passes over the center of the pivot 46, it snaps the scale up and away from the guide plate. The scale is arrested at the withdrawn position, shown in FIG. 1, by a stop screw 60 mounted in the yoke by a stop block 58. The counter-clockwise movement of the yoke and print roll is thus completed without interference with the scale.

While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of our invention by way of illustration, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention, which we therefore intend to define in the appended claims without limitation to the details of the fore-going embodiment.

What we claim is:

1. In a printing machine: a printing element bearing a type font; a yoke supporting said printing element, said yoke being movably mounted for positioning said printing element at a printing station or alternatively in a retracted position; a scale; arm means pivotally mounted on said yoke and supporting said scale .for movement, upon displacement of said yoke and said printing element to the retracted position, to a position aligned with said printing station for registration of paper with the font of said printing element; said arm means being movable to shift said scale to a withdrawn position spaced zfirom said printing station and permitting return of said yoke and printing element to the printing station.

2. The combination recited in claim 1, together with paper-feed tractor means adjustable laterally of a paperfeeding direction tor positioning paper laterally relative to said printing station.

3. The combination recited in claim 2, said scale being located adjacent to said tractor means in said withdrawn position for indicating the lateral position of said tractor means relative to said printing station.

4. The combination recited in claim 2, in which said scale is provided with a first columnar index for cooperation with said tractor means, and with a second columnar index aligned with said printing station in said aligned position.

5. The combination recited in claim 1, together with paperqfeed tractor means effective to adjust the paper relative to said printing station in a paperfeeding direction, for cooperation with said scale to position paper longitudinally relative to said printing station, said scale being provided with indicia of the location of said printing station in the paper-feeding direction.

6. In a printing machine: a printing element bearing a type font; a yoke supporting said printing element, said yoke being movably mounted for positioning said printing element at a printing station or alternatively in a retracted position; a scale; arm means pivotally mounted on said yoke and supporting said scale for movement, upon displacement oi? said yoke and said printing element to the retracted position, to a position aligned with said printing station for registration of paper with the font of said printing element, and for alternative movement to a withdrawn position spaced from said printing station and permitting return of said yoke and printing element to the printing station; and a guide plate extending adjacent to the printing station to guide paper past said printing element, said scale resting upon said guide plate in the aligned position, said guide plate being formed to gu de movement of said scale toward the withdrawn positron upon displacement of said yoke to return said printing element from its retracted position to the printing station.

7. In a printing machine as recited in claim 6, a tension spring connecting said arm means with said Y and passing over the center of the pivotal connection of said arm means with said yoke upon movement of sa d m means and said scale between said aligned and said withdrawn positions thereof, said spring biasing said arm means and scale toward that position to which it is passed over center.

8. In a printing machine: a print roll bearing .a peripheral type tfont; hammer means positioned at a printing station for impacting paper against the periphery of said print roll; a yoke rotatably supporting said print roll, said y-oke being pivotally mounted for movement of said print roll to a printing position peripherally adjacent to said printing station or alternatively to a retracted position; a scale extending parallel to the rotational axis of said print roll; arm means pivotally mounted on said yoke and supporting said scale .for movement, after displacement of said yoke and said print roll to the retracted position, to a position aligned with said printing station for registration of paper with the font of said print roll, and for alternative movement to a withdrawn position spaced from said printing station and permitting return of said yoke and said print roll to the printing position; a guide plate extending tangentially to said print roll at the printing station to guide paper between said hammer means and said print roll, said scale resting against said guide plate in the aligned position, said guide plate being formed to guide movement of said scale toward the withdrawn position upon displacement of said yoke to return said print roll from its retracted to its printing position.

9. In a printing machine as recited in claim 8, a tension spring connecting said arm means with said yoke and passing over the center of the pivotal connection of said arm means with said yoke upon movement of said arm means and said scale between the aligned and the Withdrawn positions thereof, said spring biasing said arm means and said scale toward that position to which it is passed over center; said guide plate being \formed to guide said scale from the aligned position toward the withdrawn position at least sufficiently far to pass said spring over center.

10. The combination recited in claim 8, together with pa-per-tfeed tractor means etfeotive to adjust the paper relative to said printing station in a paper-feeding direction, for cooperation with said scale to position paper longitudinally relative to said printing station, said scale being provided with indicia of the location of said printing station in the paper-feeding direction.

11. The combination recited in claim 8, together with paper-teed tractor means adjustable laterally of a paper- 'feeding direction for positioning paper laterally relative to said printing station.

12. The combination recited in claim 11, said scale being located adjacent to said tractor means in said withdrawn position for indicating the lateral position of said tractor means relative to said printing station.

13. The combination recited in claim 11, in which said scale is provided with a first columnar index for cooperation with said tractor means, and with a second columnar index aligned with said printing station in said aligned position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,156,315 5/1939 Sherman et a1. 197-133 2,265,695 12/1941 Lee.

2,724,328 11/1955 Boyden etal 197l33 X 2,781,966 2/1957 Silverberg 197189 X 3,035,680 5/1962 Fondiller l97--190 3,114,491 12/1963 Wright 197-13 3 X 3,154,235 10/1964 Hubbard 197133 X ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

E. T. WRIGHT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A PRINTING MACHINE: A PRINTING ELEMENT BEARING A TYPE FONT; A YOKE SUPPORTING SAID PRINTING ELEMENT, SAID YOKE BEING MOVABLY MOUNTED FOR POSITIONING SAID PRINTING ELEMENT AT A PRINTING STATION OR ALTERNATIVELY IN A RETRCTED POSITIJON; A SCALE; ARM MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID YOKE AND SUPPORTING SAID SCALE FOR MOVEMENT, UPON DISPLACEMENT OF SAID YOKE AND SAID PRINTING ELEMENT TO THE RETRACTED POSITION, TO A POSITION ALIGNED WITH SAID PRINTING STATION FOR REGISTRATION OF PAPER WITH THE FONT OF SAID PRINTING ELEMENT; SAID ARM MEANS BEING MOVABLE TO SHIFT SAID SCALE TO A WITHDRAWN POSITION SPACED FROM SAID PRINTING STATION AND PERMITTING RETURN OF SAID YOKE AND PRINTING ELEMENT TO THE PRINTING STATION. 